Walid Battal
Agricultural gene editing startups have raised more than $2.7 billion since 2012. Then, the sector has experienced a period of drowsiness since 2017 and the Covid epidemic. Since the beginning of this year, we have seen a meteoric recovery in investment.
Agricultural gene editing startups raised more than $161 million in the first six months of 2024, a 206% increase from the same period in 2023. This renewed interest can be explained in particular by recent technological advances that have made it possible to increase its precision, reduce research costs and broaden its horizons.
Among the most recent scientific advances are the “boosted breeding” technology of the company Ohalo Genetics or the GEiGS (gene editing-induced gene silencing) technology. The first innovation is to deploy proteins to effectively turn off the mechanism of gene division in each parent. The second innovation is to use RNA interference to combat a range of diseases and pathogens in crops.
Gene editing is helping to restructure the agricultural sector by developing new crop varieties that are more efficient, more resistant to pests and drought, and more resilient in harsh environments such as rice cultivation in salt water. Finally, gene editing can increase crop yield and quality.
Gene editing also has a major regulatory benefit by allowing seed companies to use methods that improve food crops without triggering GMO (genetically modified organism) classification by the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) because it does not introduce foreign genetic material into a crop’s DNA. But currently, the European Union is much less flexible when it comes to regulating gene editing. It still classifies edited genes as genetically modified products.
This explains, in part, the overwhelming dominance of the Americas with fundraising of $2.23 billion (81.9% of the global total). This is followed by Asia at $354 million (13%) and Europe at just $136.69 million (5%).
Despite their regulatory reluctance, the European institutions recognise the importance of this technology and support it with various grants and contributions. In July, the Ancient Environmental Genomics Initiative for Sustainability (AEGIS) project received $85 million, including $72 million from the Danish non-profit Novo Nordisk Foundation and the rest from Welcome Trust , an English charity. The ambitious goal of this project is to map the entire planetary genome using DNA fragments that are thousands of years old and thus to draw up a genomic map of the evolution of biodiversity on our planet. This type of database could serve as a basis for the development of new varieties based on evolutionary information.
A closer look at fundraising in the first half of 2024 shows that three U.S. companies are taking the lion’s share: Inari ($103 million), Ohalo Genetics ($40 million), and BioConsortia ($15 million).
What is the difference between genetically modified products and GMOs?
Genetically edited products and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) both refer to genetic modification techniques, but they differ in their approach and implications.
The term GMO refers to any organism whose genetic material has been modified in a way that does not occur naturally through reproduction or recombination. This includes the introduction of genes from other species, which is often achieved through techniques such as transgenesis.
Genetically edited products : The term refers to newer techniques, such as CRISPR/Cas9, that allow genes to be modified in a more targeted and precise way. These techniques may involve natural modifications (such as insertions, deletions or substitutions of DNA sequences) without necessarily introducing foreign genes.
- Differences in methods:
GMOs: Traditional methods may include the insertion of genes from other organisms, which often results in broader changes to the genome. For example, a plant could receive a herbicide resistance gene from a bacterium.
Genetically edited products : Gene editing technologies make it possible to modify an organism’s existing genome without adding foreign genes. This can include correcting a mutation or improving a specific trait, such as disease resistance or increased yield.
- Regulatory implications:
GMOs : In many countries, GMOs are subject to strict safety assessment and labelling regulations before they are released on the market.
Genetically edited products : The regulation of genome editing products varies. In some countries, these products may be considered non-GMO if the modification can also occur through natural means, leading to discussions about their evaluation and labeling.
- Acceptability:
GMOs : GMOs often face opposition due to concerns related to food safety, environmental impact, and ethical issues.
Genetically edited products : Gene editing is sometimes perceived as less controversial because it can mimic natural processes and lead to modifications without foreign elements, but it is not without criticism.
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